ABSOLUTELY. IT IS A REVENGE WHICH IS THE WAY THE "CONCERTACION " ACTS. IT IS REALLY SHAMEFUL AND
DISGUSTING WHICH MAKES ME ASHAMED OF BEING A CHILEAN.
KATERYNA MARCUSON SEKEKLY.
SANTIAGO DE CHILE.
SANTIAGO, APRIL 23RD 2013.

Chile, year by year, is becoming an absolute triumph of the neoliberal views in education. The former system of public education given by the State is shifting to a on-offer voucher system given on attendance, on a gradual and not well understood process. As a result, public schools are closing, since they are underfunded and their employment regime is too rigid to guarantee a minimum of quality, and for-profit schools are rising. Now 60% of Chilean kids are educated in a for-profit scheme, way higher than any other OECD country.

This has obvious consequences in income distribution. Chile's Gini coefficient, if we take the corrected data of the local IRS, is 0.63, easily in the top ten of most unequal economies of the whole world. And if we take seriously some studies saying even that figure is optimist, we can safely say Chile's economy is, in fact, the most unequal on Earth. An economy where the 0.01% of population takes more than 10% of GDP. Really.

Since Mr. Beyer embodies all those for-profit theories, taking him down is easy. But what really worries me is: is this the answer of the political system to a widespread demand for equality? If that's true, and nothing else is done, then we will have, sooner or later, pre-revolutionary conditions, and that means a violent revolution, or even a civil war, in 20-30 years. Chavez will be nothing compared to what comes in Chile, if politics don't do their job. And based on their past performance, they won't.

Again, reading the comments and replies, the article missed the point. It reduced the whole issue to a political vendetta for the sacking of Bachelet's former Education Minister, Yasna Provoste, five years ago. I don't deny it played a role, but there were many important elements the article sadly missed.
Beyer is a right-wing education expert,the ones that promote vouchers, a reduced role of the State in public education and an enhanced role for private business in universities, the ones that have created a highly segregated educational system in Chile. He is the expert that advocated policies popular to business and right-wing politicians.
Beyer wanted to legalize illegal practices, popular in private universities -which by law are supposed to be "non profit"- by using the Universidad del Mar fiasco as scapegoat to save the rest of private university business in Chile. Beyer's attempt in higher education it was like executing Ali Baba to spare the life (and money)of the 40 thieves.
However, Beyer proved to be tactless in his relationship with Congress. And expert is not enough if Mr. Piñera's right-wing government wanted to advance in its pro business policies. It required political skills Mr. Beyer didn't have. At the end it was a "for profit" education defeat, not the simplistic "vendetta" approach taken by the article.

The article is right to point out that the impeachment has been taken advantage of for petty political and electoral reasons. It is also true, as the article suggests, that Beyer is probably the most qualified education minister Chile has had since the return to democracy.
That being said, the position of Minister is not just technical but primarily political. The articles fail to mention that Beyer's impeachment - and his appointment - are a direct effect of the student movement in the country. Without social mobilization Beyer would have never become minister (Piñera preferred other people for the job), and there would have not been enough pressure to impeach him. It is true that, like Beyer, all previous minister failed to implement the law but that does not make him innocent; while it is true that the law does not specify how exactly he could have regulated profit in educational institutions he never attempted to do so. Yes, inspected institutions could have sued the State, but if the government is in fact committed to uphold the law then that would have a more desirable outcome than the impeachment. Beyer's removal is unfortunate but the issue at stake is way larger than him or congresspeople's spitefulness - the real matter is whether the Chilean government (both the president and Congress) is responsive to and ultimately legitimate in the eyes of its people.

All we can do is wait and hope that a silent majority will be disgusted by the cheap, demagogic and populist tactics that some of our politicians are incurring, and that such feeling gets loudly expressed by the time of the elections.

I regret The Economist did so little to analyze deeper into the issue. Beyer made a huge political mistake by dismissing a number of warnings from Congress, specially a Lower Chamber report on the issue. He also also changed views. Previously, he refused to take action on "for profit" education (which is illegal under a law -LOCE- enacted at the end of Pinochet´s regime) and recommended students to complain before the Consumer's claim service (SERNAC)known in Chile for its legal weakness.
At the end, in order to save the face, he used the Universidad del Mar´s fiasco as scapegoat. But it was too late. He had the legal tools to do more and denounce the issue well in advance. He had all the information and the power to try -at least- to suit. But he did little and too late. Combined with his dismissive attitude to Congress, Harald Beyer became his own gravedigger.

Asuming that you are chilean and know your stuff, I beg to differ. The fact that Beyer is Chile's prime expert in education is hardly deniable, and during his tenure huge improvements have been made towards a good quality and inclusive higher education in Chile, though I admit we still have a long, long way to go. But we (or at least were) going in the right direction, certainly better thatn the past 20 years.

Beyer already sent a bill to create a regulator for higher education, something no minister had done before. If he'd last until the end of the government I can assure you great advances would have been made. The whole thing about profit in education is madness; in order to have good education you need good teachers with good qualifications, and in order to get those people into teaching (ala Canada model) you need to offer them a good salary, a salary the would earn if they worked as doctors or lawyers. If you don't do that, then you'll always have mediocre teachers teaching mediocre stuff to students who become mediocre, becasue the salaries are a joke (US 600 per month aprox, in public schools) And in order to pay those those good salaries to those good teachers you need money. In that sense, it's more sane to have a very controlled profit system than no profit at all. The chilean government doesn't have enough money to run a good public education system, like they have in the USA.

Instead of this advances taking place, Piñera now faces an anxious dilemma. The problem is that the whole debate around education is highly politized and has kept people from thinking clearly what our country needs.

The Economist could care to tell the full story and tell its readers that Beyer have not done his work, did not put the gloves to dismantle the illegal for-profit maffias that rule large parts of the education system.

Chilean people are demanding the whole rotten structure of the eduation sysem to be replaced with a new one built upon agreed principles of the society and not upon decissions of an murderous dictator 30 years ago.

Pinochet regime killed 3000 persons (figures are in the range from 1500 to 3000). That is bad and maybe more should have been done to avoid it. But which moral authority does the Chilean far left (including the communist party, of which some of the student representatives are part) to condemn it? Recently they sent a congratulation letter to Kim Jong-un when he came to power, they still thing Stalin was one of the greatest men of history (instead of one of the greatest genocides), not to mention that in the 70s they promoted violence as a perfectly legitimate way to get political power…

…Is not that what the students say is not valid, they represent themselves and in the educational system in specific they have shown something that has lots of public support. I think is good for the country to have quality education accessible for all people regardless of their social class; how to reach this is more difficult to agree (at least I agree for free education until high-school, but not for university).

I really do hope that Chile's education system changes. Right now, the average yearly fees (excluding books) for universities in Chile are higher than the yearly salary of a person who's earning the minimum salary. And the salary of those congressmen are 85 times higher than the minimum salary they say "people can live off" while food prices, education, health care, dentistry, water and electricity prices in Chile are among the highest in the world. I come from Iceland, where congressmen make 6 times LESS than the Chilean congressmen. The Chilean politics just smell of abuse, corruption and business.

Disgusting. This was not about Education as it should have but rather all about petty political rivalries.
The Concertación party has given me yet another reason -and I hope millions of Chileans as well- to not vote for them. Simply disgusting.

While I agree that this was more of a "revenge" and an electoral move, rather than a real action to improve the ed. system, this technocrat here, part of a self proclaimed "government of excellence", was yet another incompetent neolliberal, who wouldn't do any good for the Chilean people, mostly because they don't really know the reality of millions of poor Chileans, and also because they were educated to make rich people even richer, to give our natural resources to foreign interests for almost nothing in exchange, and to hate poor Chileans.
Now, you could be asking, why does this guy is saying this? Well, we are recently acknowledging that they've been manipulating official statistics (in the INE), firing people "just because", etc., and they have a history of just doing stupid things with Chilean people's money. You may already know, our president embarrasses us every time he talks...
But just a correction: the Concertación has never been leftist, they were formed to administer and improve the socioeconomic model imposed by the US and pinochet. And they did it so well that some businessmen would prefer them over the far-right wing now in power... To make a parallel: D's versus R's in the US, both of them right wing, but one said to be "leftist".

"They were educated to give our natural resources to foreign interests for almost nothing in exchange, and to hate poor Chileans."

Really? Oh and may I ask you who sold the chilean highways to private parties, who sold the electricity (CHILECTRA) to the spaniards, who sold EMOS (actual Aguas Andinas), who sold CTC (now Movistar), who privatized the subway and a big percetage of CODELCO (our copper)? As far as I remember it wasn't the neolliberal "Chicago Boys" but the corrupt and fake Concertación.

I'd rather have a honest, ethical president who can't talk in public than a useless mega politician as mrs. Bachelet, any day.

First of all, there is no correction needed as I never said the Concertacion was a leftist party. Although to make it clear now, it is a centre-left one.

Secondly, the Coalition is far from being a far-left party (do not confuse the coalition as a whole with other singular political parties) and there are countless examples of our President's pragmatism in some issues that have even caused some dissatisfaction within his own political party, the UDI.

Thirdly, I am not embarrassed of our President. In fact I admire him and deem him to be one of the most capable ones we've had. So please speak for yourself.

I think it's correct to say that "Chileans deserve better from their legislators," but if it rejects the charge would be considered worse by the public, at some point you have to Start changing things and it was bad luck for this government and this minister .

Education, Finances, Business whenever I travel on the roads of our country, I have the feeling that something really strange happens when I go to pay for using the road I realize that using it has increased.
The Central Bank says it has achieved its goals of controlling inflation, and ask the person where payment why prices rose and says he does not know, but with his cheerful face says "but we were up wages", never up wages. What? So, I wonder why prices rise then the use of the road, when you make increases in the use of them, should be investing that money in the staff working on it, in infrastructure, clean (bags, bottles , paper), the audit, in the expansion of it, because the blocks that form on the highways are incredibly disastrous. The number of accidents is due to lack of control, I see trucks with loads hanging from side to side, ancient trucks and vans in an area of ​​100 km / h will be 40 km.
If we want a Superintendent of Education, and we have a Superintendency of Banks and Financial Institutions, and not as to other agencies and supervisory bodies, wonder what they are. I wonder if the authorities say they have advanced so much, if we are at full employment, why crime rates have increased, why poverty continues to rise, why highways are allowed to increase the value of the use of them, if Central Bank and financial authorities say inflation is under control.
It is frightening to see when you're driving how pollution is of pollutants on the fields, that the windows of cars are filled with mosquito insecticides escaping pulling trains and left, no matter what all these chemicals go directly to the people who circulate quietly, without any benefit from it, out of the damage we do to health, one can really say, no matter what poison me I am benefiting from all these chemicals that are damaging the health of all.
So I keep thinking of the way, what actually happens in our country, in which students perform demonstrations, but offer no solution, because education is so bad that you are able to do a project, at least when interview, are not ridiculous, they do not know what to say and candidates less. Well, that is the education received by students in our country, those are the roads by which circulate mediocre, those are the birth defects we see in cities across the country, because in the state and private companies are not interested and not human capital concern.
We are living in the past, only the profits generated capital to entrepreneurs, the authorities probably have to say absolutely nothing supervise. So it remains to sit, to wait-out the seven months left, so that the next person handling country split again from scratch, because my opinion is that today people, institutions, organizations do what they please . In the end nobody cares. "What is necessary for evil to triumph is that good people do nothing about it." It is not the Minister, is everything part of a developing nation they all go the same process until they learn
Bernardo Javalquinto, Economist University of Maryland

That's polarized opinion appeared in The Economist, no one takes personal merits and Mr. Beyer quality, it is agreed that impeachment is absurd, to assert that there was something for education on the assumed period is quite short credible, because obviously the only ones who have played it are nothing less than our students and the majority protests that have led in recent years, including in the Bachelet government. Moreover, poor education are more than 30 years ago, segregation is shameful. The question: What future holds for the children of those who are surviving with lousy pay and unstable, and does not have the means to educate them?. It is time that society look carefully to the needs of others, not just their mistakes and failures?

It is an article with key gaps about intellectual trajectory of Mr. Beyer on education. Interestingly he has never published an ISI academic article on education, and he never worked at any public Chilean university. The ISI is the current scientific international standard the Chilean Ministry of Education uses to assess intellectual and academic production. His main articles were to be published at the CEP, a think tank which mainly represents the interests of both the right wing and business sector. It is argued he is an expert, a nerd, but he is not an expert on education if it is considered that an expert is someone whose academic production is created at spheres which are recognised by the scientific community and whose interest is to contribute, through his intellectual production, to welfare of the majority.

More so, he teached regularly economics (ironically, public policies in education!) at Universidad the Chile, the leading public university. But he will be forbidden to teach there during the next 5 years, due to the impeachment... sadly.

More so, he teached regularly economics (ironically, public policies in education!) at Universidad the Chile, the leading public university. But he will be forbidden to teach there during the next 5 years, due to the impeachment... sadly.

you see, this guy "MM4E" represents the kind of "democrats" that got booted.
he shows great respect for the human kind and to opposing ideas
he also lreally ikes giving arguments when discussing ideas
what a democrat, huh?

In fact, Beyer has academic record. The point here is that when you read a paper you do it critically, by checking affiliations and who finances the research. I must recognize he is a little bit more progressist than his friends, but let's face it, he works for a right-wing ideology factory, CEP... scholar or not his views about education are arguable because they are totally biased. I'm not condemning that either, I'm just saying that portraying him as someone "who knows about the subjetct" is a mistake... he is someone "who views the subject from a right-wing perspective", that's all.

Jon is being incredibly unfair… first of all this administration is right-wing, so it was likely to choose a minister with a view of the role of the government more in regulation and transparency, (instead of turning the whole education system to be state-run, please correct me on the meaning of “progressist”).
Though CEP can be perceived as right wing, it’s a place where they try (with certain success) to be as open as possible to all points of view when they discuss politically sensitive topics, a few months ago went there and they invited an economist from Cambridge to discuss the Gini of Chile (he said it was bad and probably getting worse: not exactly pro-government). The 25th of this month some important ex or current student representatives are invited to express their points of view…
Most important many times they choose subjects which cannot be normally related with politics, for example “Which is the meaning of love” (and they bring a good scientist, a literature critic and a psychologist to discuss), a presentation of the best work of Fellini, or a writer as Nabokov (also with great orators or people who know of the subject). Is difficult to find in Santiago (or most cities) a place where you can go free-of-charge and enjoy something like this.

This guy failed to obey the law, therefore should be kicked out of his job. Anything else is just nonsense. The fact that our congress didn't care before doesn't make him non-guilty (we should kick them out too for being so lazy and not control in almost 20 years). Pretty simple you see. All other arguments are vain: socialism, communism, lack of this or that, etc.

Completely agree. Nobody is saying he is not an expert or that he doesn't have good intentions but the fact is he failed to unveil the disgusting and illegal profits private Chilean universities are making at the cost of their very humble students. It's not a matter of betrayal, it is DEMOCRACY and the congress has the ability to remove a minister from his seat if they feel he didn't do his job right.
Harald Beyer's big mistake was to disregard one very key report that exposed the black business of private Chilean universities. Instead of giving a little credit to what the report said he chose to call it "false"
I don't doubt his capabilities or intentions but the truth is he is not a politician but an academic, he should have been advising rather than in charge.

Completely agree. Nobody is saying he is not an expert or that he doesn't have good intentions but the fact is he failed to unveil the disgusting and illegal profits private Chilean universities are making at the cost of their very humble students. It's not a matter of betrayal, it is DEMOCRACY and the congress has the ability to remove a minister from his seat if they feel he didn't do his job right.
Harald Beyer's big mistake was to disregard one very key report that exposed the black business of private Chilean universities. Instead of giving a little credit to what the report said he chose to call it "false"
I don't doubt his capabilities or intentions but the truth is he is not a politician but an academic, he should have been advising rather than in charge.

A good article; it shows mostly facts. Is a shame in Chile most of our Congressmen prefer to make a point by the way of destruction. Education was not served this time, only the kind of interests that keep citizens away from politics.

Exactly this is product of our own people chosing corrupt overpowered congressmen(left and right). The two coalitions have both reached maximum decadency. As a country we should boycott these organizations and try independent parties, the only way to decentralize power and for majority interests to be represented. After all we are a society and not toys which is how our politicians have treated us sin 1973.

And for those who don't get it, look at Argentina or Chile 1970 to see where you can end up if you let your democracy be hijacked by con artists.
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The right also should focus on eliminating outdated legislation and regulation, much of which restricts free enterprise and promotes oligopolies. Once that happens, Chile will finally advance in value chains, the service industry will thrive and convert it into an oasis of prosperity, attracting talent from everywhere.
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But maybe I am hoping for too much and the majority's desire is to be mediocre...